Speaking for the first time since she signed back on the show in a deal reportedly worth £2million, Sharon said: “If I was a contestant and there was a young girl or guy on the panel, who’s had success but not long success because they are so young, and they were telling me what I should and shouldn’t do, I would tell THEM what to do.

“I would. I think when you are advising people on their career, it always comes better from people who have had experience through age and who have had a long career themselves.

“If somebody has just happened, and they are two years into their career, then they can’t tell someone what to do, or what they feel they should do.

“Or they can tell them, but the person they’re telling is going to be like: ‘Who are you? Are you going to be here in five years?’ They haven’t passed the test of time yet.”

The Grandmother-of-two said Nick Grimshaw was not successful long enough to be telling X Factor hopefuls what to do

Sharon has more than 30 years of experience as manager to acts including her Black Sabbath singer husband Ozzy and rockers the Smashing Pumpkins.

Simon, 56, and Louis, 64, also have CVs stuffed with successes. And Nicole, 38, has been clocking up hits since before her days with The Pussycat Dolls.

Grandmother-of-two Sharon thinks they are the perfect mix, explaining: “It’s great to work with Nicole on a technical level because — one artist to another — she can get up there with the contestants. She will sing with them, tell them technical things.

“Louis knows what he’s looking for as a manager. And I always look at artists and think, ‘How are we going to market this artist? What can we do with them? Where do they fit in the music industry today?’

"So we all bring something to the table. I think time is a great thing, we can read each other.”

Last year's newbies, Nick and Rita, were strongly ridiculed as inexperienced mentors

But it is the acid-tongued Sharon who viewers will be looking forward to having back — and she assured The Sun on Sunday she has no intention of mincing her words. Especially when it comes to wannabes desperate for fame.

She said: “It’s the same all over the world — people just want to be famous.

“Do you want to be an artist or do you want to be a celebrity?

“There’s a huge difference. There are people who don’t want credibility.

“They just want the fame, the quick rise, the money, the attention — and those people don’t last. They really don’t.”